The present invention relates to a stop assembly for securing a buoy line connecting a mooring anchor to an associated buoy when at least a part of the line has been winched on board an oceangoing vessel.
In the drilling or production of oil and gas offshore, the drilling platforms are moored fast to the sea bed with large anchors. From time to time it is necessary to move these anchors, which is done by hoisting them on board a supply ship, for instance. The connection to the anchor is provided via a buoy floating on the surface of the water which is connected to the anchor by a buoy line. A wire rope from the winch on board the ship is connected to the buoy and the buoy can then be hoisted on board the vessel. Owing to the size of the buoy--it may be several meters in diameter with a height greater than the diameter--the buoy must be released from the buoy line and the winch cable and the latter two lines have to be coupled together before the actual raising of the anchor can begin. When the buoy has been hoisted on board the deck of the vessel, the buoy line to the anchor will be very tautly stretched, and various types of large and heavy stop means and associated fastening wires have been utilized previously to secure the buoy line on board in such manner that one can use the winch to slacken both the winch cable and the part of the buoy line lying on deck enough to permit release of the buoy and connection of the buoy line to the winch cable, whereupon the anchor can then be lifted free of the sea bed and moved or brought on board the supply ship.